Generally papermakers, particularly manufacturers of low basis weight tissue webs, have attempted to reduce the machine and cross direction slopes at a given tensile strength. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,972,474 to Underhill discloses tissues with enhanced cross-machine direction properties including relatively high peak stretch, relatively low slope, and increased tensile energy absorbed. Underhill reported that tissue products having these properties have relatively low stiffness with increased extensibility at relatively high strength levels. Generally, the products produced in Underhill had a cross-machine direction slope (CD slope) of roughly 2,000 to 3,000 grams per 3 inches. Underhill hypothesized that low CD slope correlates to a low bending stiffness, yielding a soft tissue.
In addition to Underhill's teachings, papermakers have attempted to reduce CD slope by reducing the CD tensile strength or by increasing CD stretch at a given CD tensile. However as increased CD stretch levels have become practical due to advances in fabric technology, CD slope values have become even lower, and at some point a low CD slope may be interpreted as indicative of a weak or “flimsy” tissue. Thus, in some instances it may be desirable for the papermaker to increase CD slope.
One example of increasing the CD slope of a tissue web is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 7,300,543 to Mullally. To increase the CD slope of the tissue web Mullally utilized papermaking fabrics with deep discontinuous pockets in an uncreped throughdried tissue process. While the webs of Mullally had increased CD slope, such CD slope values that may not be sufficient to provide a tissue with desired levels of attributes such as substance in hand at the appropriate CD tensile level. Furthermore, a product with deep discontinuous pockets may not be desired by consumers. Therefore, there remains a need in the art for tissue webs having increased CD slope as well as methods of manufacturing the same.